Hillhamn Salome wanted to be a marine biologist, but fell in love with spirits and liqueurs while tending bar in her native Mexico City instead. It happens. That led her down the path of making her own infused spirits and liqueur using mainstream ingredients and commercial products, but her creative itch still wasn’t scratched. So, she buckled down, learned how to ferment and distil, and founded Flor de Luna Destilería in 2015 – Mexico City’s first entirely female-owned and operated micro-distillery, in what is otherwise a very male-dominated landscape. Epic.
The star in Flor de Luna’s stable is Xila, a Mexican apéritif built on a base of mezcal, inspired by the regional culinary traditions of Puebla and Oaxaca. Caramelised pineapple, ancho chilli, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, lavender and hibiscus make up the seven flavour notes – all hand-picked and hand-selected, then macerated for seven days, rested for seven more and filtered seven times. Must be a lucky number.
As you’ve probably guessed, all these elements make for a multidimensional drinking experience. It’s delish on its own over ice, but devilishly good in a Spritz with some dry vermouth and tonic water, too, or in a spicy-sweet, mole-inflected Mezcal Negroni. Experiment away! And if you’re keen to play around with more, Flor de Luna’s corn-based vodka and orangey, rosemary-scented gin are just the ticket